You've come first
by GabbiCalabrese
Summary: There was always the urge to touch her hair—to confirm if it was as soft and silky as it appeared. I bet it was. Of course there was also the temptation the mere sight of her lips brought upon me.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so as I started writing my first fanfic my mind started racing with so many ideas for VA, and I get ideas from a lot of people, but I feel like after I read them I need to write something like that and make it turn out the way I want. This idea has been done by so many people but I always think things like "Oh, Dimitri would never think like that" So now, I'm gonna try to do vampire academy in Dimitri's perspective, because there's just so many fanfics I read where in my mind I'm like "NO! NO! NO! He should have said this." Idk, I think I'm rambling now. Anyways…enjoy (: **

I have been after these two girls for months. They may just be two teenage girls, but they were extremely difficult to find. Vasilisa Dragomir and Rosemarie Hathaway.

Those were two names that never stopped circulating around the academy. I've heard so many rumors from teachers, students and even guardians. There's no way this Hathaway girl could be as bad as everyone says.

I had arrived at the academy about a year after the two escaped. Now, I'd figure after all that time these two girls would just be brushed off, no big deal. But this was the last Dragomir, no way was anyone going to forget her escape. Not until she was found.

No one knows how they did it, or even why. The headmistress and even most the teachers decided that it was because Rosemarie had pulled a ridiculous stunt and if she didn't leave she was going to be severely punished. Most of the students are coming up with their own theories, though. And they were ugly. Some say she ran off to join a blood whore convention. Others say that one of them, or maybe even both of them, got pregnant and had to go away so that they could raise their babies. That was just ludicrous.

The other guardians and administration say that she got really drunk at a party one night and she used a baseball bat to destroy a whole room at the academy. Windows were busted, shelves were knocked out of the wall, the stereo that was in that room was broken into pieces, along with the mirror. When I was first told the story I laughed, thinking they were kidding, but apparently that's the nature of Rosemarie Hathaway. She does outrageous, reckless, and extremely stupid things for attention. I'm still not sure how much of that story I believe, but they said she admitted to it. And I guess you can't deny a straight up confession.

Ever since I was assigned to the mission of finding them, though, I've thought about the situation a lot.

According to Headmistress Kirova's theory, the reason she broke out was to avoid punishment, but obviously if she got caught her punishment would have been much worse. That was common sense, so she would have to know that. So if dodging penalty was her motive then that would just make her stupid. And according to everyone here, she was. But, considering she escaped a highly guarded school—with a princess in tail—and kept both the princess and herself hidden for the past two years, I figured that wasn't likely. For some reason, I just knew there was another cause for her leaving.

Now, it's been several months that me and my team had been searching for them. We had gotten a few leads, but they were all duds. Finally, though, after extensive research we were able to get a bank account number.

The account had been inactive for almost a year though. There were two withdrawals. The first dating back to the day they left the school. The transaction was an abnormally large number and had taken place at an ATM here in Montana. That was of no use to us. The second proceeding was a a little over a year later, another enormous amount. It was said to have been made in Chicago. I realized then, that the girls were trying to be as inconspicuous as they could, giving off their location as little as possible.

That's when I came up with a conclusion. They were taking out enough money to last them at least a year, and when they ran out they would make another large retraction. They tried not to stay in one area for too long a time, but they didn't want to move around too much. When I discovered that information, I realized the best thing to do was monitor the account. In the mean time, me and my cartel looked for more leads. There were none.

But, days ago there was activity. They took money from an ATM in Portland. The moment that update reached me I gathered my group and we headed to Portland. I had guys everywhere. It took a few days, but one of my men had spotted them. We kept close tabs on them, and found that at the end of every day they returned to the same apartment. We found their house.

I knew my next step was to establish a plan. These girls were smart, they practically out-smarted all of us, I don't know how this Hathaway was so good, but if she was accepted, I had a feeling she would make a great guardian one day. I mapped out my plan carefully, making sure to review it to my comrades multiple times. Once I was confident everyone fully understood the plan, we headed out. It was around two-thirty A.M. When we arrived at their house.

I found a perfect place to hide in case anyone else from that apartment building came out. My plan would have been quite the fail if I was suspected for being some pedophile, stalking two young girls. I was hidden in the shadows of a tree in the front yard. By the time all my guys were fanned out and in position it was around three.

I was taking a deep breath, preparing myself for what I had to do—I was still convinced that these girls had a legitimate reason for vanishing, and with that in my mind, I felt guilty for forcibly dragging them back—when I saw a light flicker on in one of the rooms. I braced myself. But what were the odds of it actually being their window? Apparently pretty good, because as the light came on, it revealed the two people I had been searching for.

Vasilisa Dragomir and Rosemarie Hathaway.

I didn't have to see what I saw next to know the Moroi from the dhampir. It was obvious just by looking at them. The dhampir—Rosemarie—was obviously beautiful, even from far back. I suppose that Princess Dragomir was too, but my taste didn't usually consist of Moroi, especially ones that were seven years younger than myself. Actually, Rosemarie was also seven years younger, but that was different. Every male specimen was attracted to her. The first thing I learned about her was not her irresponsible behavior, or her lack of manners. It was that she always had a line of guys following her, nearly drooling as they watched her.

I may have had more control, but I was definitely no exception.

I couldn't really make out her facial features, I could see her profile. Her curves, her bouncy hair…and her neck as Vasilisa's teeth bit into it. That came as no shock to me. I, apparently, had more common sense than the guardians at the academy. Everyone is so baffled at how she gets blood, and how she survives. I automatically knew that Rosemarie fed her, it made sense.

But even as it came as no surprise, it still made me nauseous. They weren't having sex or anything, but it was still programmed into my brain that it was wrong. Dirty.

When the princess pulled away she wiped her mouth and smiled at her best friend, who, in return, was swaying and smiling like an idiot. Although, her smile was beautiful, it literally looked to be shining. Vasilisa left the room, and Rosemarie flopped down on the bed. A cat jumped into the window sill. Honestly, I don't know where it came from. And that is bad guardianship. I presume I was too distracted by Rosemarie to notice an animal. That could pose a problem.

The cat was gazing at me, and the it's posture told me I clearly put it on edge. Even with the state of mind she was in, Rose happened to notice that. I swore as she looked out of the window, trying to see what put the cat on edge.

I tried to remain still, tried to stay in guardian posture. Maybe if I didn't move, she wouldn't notice me. But she did. She jerked back, and I knew that wasn't a good sign.

I stepped farther back into the shadows of the tee, motioning my closest guy to join me. Soon, we were completely enveloped in darkness, and Rosemarie pulled away from the wondow.

I was praying that after I disappeared she would think she just imagined it all. She would think it was just the endorphins getting the best of her. But I knew that wasn't the case as I saw her grab two coats and slip out of the bedroom door. Time for the backup plan.

Of course, I was prepared for exactly this situation. I knew that if somehow we did lose the element of surprise, we needed to do something. I realized that Rosemarie had probably already alerted Princess Dragomir and they were on their way out. But I was reluctant to shout the orders of a changed plan. I just couldn't shake the feeling that this was wrong, that somehow I was dragging them into something I couldn't imagine.

But see, I like to think of myself as having two minds. There was Dimitri and there was Guardian Belikov. Dimitri was the mind that I had to put to the side. It held all my feelings, and my conscience, and all of my desires. But I was dedicated to a life of servitude. _They come first._

Then, there was Guardian Belikov. Master of self-control. Obedient. Sensible. This is the mind that I had to focus on in these situations. I had a mission. I needed to do as directed. They belonged at the academy.

"Okay," I said not loudly enough to draw attention from anyone who wasn't listening for a signal. "Unfortunately, we've been caught. We need to go ahead and execute plan B. There is a back door on the other side, and I assume that they will be exiting there. Keep them in sight."

There were grunts of understanding and I knew there was no turning back. My guys were on it. There was no failing here. I couldn't report back to the academy and claim that the mission was a blunder. They were going back whether they liked it or not.

One of the guardians gave me a signal that told me that the girls had left the building. We started behind them.

I didn't catch the whole conversation between the two, but the pieces I did hear made it plain that Rosemarie was both the brains and the brawn of their friendship. Maybe she had terrible grades in her classes, but there was no doubt that she was intelligent and basically came up with a plan for everything at the same time as protecting her best friend both physically and mentally. Keeping a level head and showing no fear. Yes, she would make a great guardian.

"But if they've found us—" The princess's voice was soft and scared. It made this all the more difficult.

"They found us before," Rosemarie countered. I hadn't heard of that information, and I wondered if it were true. "They didn't catch us then. We'll just drive over to the train station and go to L.A. They'll lose the trail."

I made an effort not to scoff. The plan was so basic that any novice would catch them, especially with Rosemarie nearly expressing it to the world. Maybe she wasn't as smart as I had assumed. Maybe all this time it was just luck. They walked in silence from then, but Vasilisa's fidelity was written all over her face.

"Do you hear that?" The princess gasped. I realized then that I really needed to stop lacking in my duties. I was the leader of this group yet they were several steps ahead of me—literally and metaphorically. While my mind was reeling and trying to figure Rosemarie out, my men had already begun the chase. They were gaining speed and were instantly on their tale.

"We've got to run for it," Rosemarie said as she gripped Vasilisa's arm.

"But you can't—" Princess began, but Rosemarie cut her off immediately as she heard the steps of me and my men increase.

"_Run."_

And they did. Rosemarie was hanging on to Vasilisa for dear life. Stumbling, and tripping over her own feet. She was still sedated and acting very foolishly in trying to run from us. They were trapped no matter what, but she kept going. I realized then that she would do anything for Vasilisa. She wasn't stupid, or foolish. She was just desperate to protect her friend.

We were literally right behind them and I saw Rosemarie look at the green Honda ahead. She knew that they were so close, but that just wasn't enough. I stepped right in front of them and they stopped. Rosemarie yanked Vasilisa by the arm, pulling herself in front of her. I saw her examine me, and I felt the need to do the same. My eyes started at her feet. She was wearing jeans, but they were tight and it was easy to notice she had amazing legs. The guardians were surrounding us, but I was practically entranced.

My eyes moved up to her torso, her body was amazing, and I felt myself shiver just looking at her. I didn't know how to describe her, but she was far beyond beautiful.

My trance broke as she grabbed the princess and pushed up against her, keeping her fully guarded. Only by me though, there were guardians surrounding her. Unless she developed the ability to stretch her limbs and wrap herself all the way around Vasilisa, there was no way of actually protecting her from all of us. Not that we were going to hurt her.

Apparently Rose didn't know that, though. "Leave her alone," her words were wrapped with venom, and it surprised me that someone so angelic could be so vicious. "Don't touch her."

The Dimitri side of myself automatically had a response. _She's not the one I want to touch._ I shook that out of my mind. I needed Guardian Belikov back. I forced him back, keeping my emotional wall in place.

I lifted my hands up and tried to show her that I meant no harm. My hands wanted to move forward and stroke her hair, It looked so soft, so shiny. Like a piece of silk between the fingers. _SNAP OUT OF IT!_

"I'm not going to—" I subconsciously took a step toward her. She didn't like that too much.

She sprang out at me, foot first, in what I supposed was supposed to be a kind of kick. It was obvious this girl had completely neglected any form of training since they ran away. It was a stupid move, but like I said before; she was desperate.

I instinctively threw my arm out at her. But she was weak and clumsy, and pretty much intoxicated at the moment. Her reaction was not what I was used to and she went flying. She was falling towards the cement, her hip jutting out, she was going to slam into the pavement, and it would be painful. How Vasilisa was still alive? I had no clue. If Rose fought like this against Strigoi, her head would be dispatched in mere moments.

My guardian side and my Dimitri side were battling. _She deserves to fall, she has been ignoring her duties as a guardian. _ But that was stupid logic. She was only a novice. So I quickly reached out and grabbed her by the arm. Her soft skin contrasting beautifully against my callused hands. I wanted to rub my hands all over her. I set her upright, and my hand stayed locked around her arm.

The thing I found most ironic is that the adults at the academy speak of Rosemarie like she is a complete idiot. Yet, at the same time they seem to believe that this teenage dhampir walks on water. Like she was a danger to us all. Actually, that was exactly what they believed and I'm not sure I understood why. Teenagers pulled uncontrollable stunts all the time, so she lacks a lot of control and discipline, how is she any different? I was the only one who thought that. Everyone else agreed that she was a walking stick of destruction. Maybe they would change their minds after seeing that miserable attempt of an attack.

I was back to absorbing her features, but I was brought to a stop when I saw the two tiny wounds on her neck. They bubbled with dots of scarlet and I couldn't take my eyes off of it. I didn't mean to stare, it probably freaked her out. But she was so feminine and she kind of reminded me of a goddess, the two marks stunned me.

She caught me looking and wiped her neck, looking at the blood. Heat rose to her cheeks and she shook her hair over her shoulders to obscure it. Her beautiful, dark hair. It was close to black, but not quite there. I brought my thoughts away from her hair and looked her in the eyes. They were equally beautiful. They held emotion and ferocity, and they sparkled with something I couldn't explain. She exchanged the look, trying to be bold, and she ripped her arm from my grip. Minutes later I could still feel the tingle where her skin touched mine.

Rosemarie backed up towards Vasilisa, she cringed, clearly preparing herself to attack again. That would be stupid. Did she not see how badly that resulted the first time?

Princess Dragomir's hand gripped Rosemarie's and she whispered, "Rose, don't."

Rose. Roza. I wanted to smile. The name sounded great in my mind. Rose. I mentally shook myself once more.

Vasilisa was trying to calm Rose, that much was evident. At first Rose stood her ground, but then her determined face relaxed and I realized she was accepting failure.

That was when it hit me. _All the guardians that were on duty at the time, claimed that they didn't remember a thing. Their minds were fogged up. _Kirova's words hit him like a brick wall. They were bonded.

Those Moroi said to be bonded had a strong sense of compulsion. Although all Moroi could use it, not very many were good with it. But Vasilisa had managed to compel the guardians at the gate that day.

The way Vasilisa abruptly calmed Rose just proved it to me. She must have sent calming vibes somehow. I knew that this explanation was probably impossible. There hadn't been a case of bonding for centuries. Not since the oldest tales. But it was the only explanation. I was almost positive. But I would focus on that later.

I turned towards Princess Dragomir, knowing that if I looked at Rose again, I would get engrossed once more. I couldn't risk that. I dipped into a bow for the princess. "My name is Dimitri Belikov," I introduced. "I've come to take you back to St. Vladimir's Academy, Princess."

**Please review! This was kind of an experiment to see if I really could write as Dimitri. I'm kind of testing out my writing skills. So review and tell me what you think, and if I should go on (: **


	2. Chapter 2

**I would like to thank you all so much for the awesome reviews for this story. A lot of people told me I really captured the essence of Dimitri's thoughts. It made me so proud of myself. SO thanks for that (: Sorry it took so long for chapter two, I've been super busy lately! Enjoy!**

**I DO NOT OWN THESE CHARACTERS, OR THIS PLOT. IT ALL BELONGS TO THE LUCKIEST RED HEAD ALIVE: RICHELLE MEAD.**

Rose didn't look happy. In fact on the way to the airport, she kept giving me looks that were practically shooting daggers. It was quite amusing actually.

As they boarded the Academy's private jet they stood close and were about to sit down when I turned to one of my guys and told him to separate the two of them. How stupid did they think I was?

"Don't let them talk to each other," I ordered Guardian Jameson, and he dragged Rose to the back of the plane. "Five minutes together, and they'll come up with an escape plan." I didn't doubt it a single bit. I wasn't exactly sure of how these two girls operated, but I was starting to get a general idea: Act first, and then think. If they were left to design an escape plan right now, I'd probably be jumping out of the jet after them to make sure that they pulled the parachute string at the right time.

The look that Rose gave me before stomping down the aisle—like a five year old—was so full of hatred and revulsion that I almost flinched. Almost. She would intimidate me if I hadn't realized just how terrible a fighter she truly was. But the look also told me I was spot on.

Now, they were trapped, we were lifting off into the air, and they were going nowhere until we landed.

I sat in the front with Vasilisa, who was clearly terrified. I don't know why they were so scared? They were just going back to the academy. They spent most of their lives there, and now going back, they act like St. Vladimir's is some type of Moroi slaughter house that they so desperately escaped. There goes that pang of guilt again.

One of my guys, Guardian Hartford I think his name was, came by and asked the princess if she wanted anything. Her voice was small and scared as she asked for a bottle of water. He immediately fetched it for her, and when he handed it over she drank out of it like she had been deprived of water for days, she finished in mere seconds.

After she finished she began wringing the bottle, it crunched under her grip. As I was busy examining Lissa, my western novel slid out of my lap, landing gently on the floor. I bent to pick it up, and before I was looking at the floor, my eyes traveled to where Rose Hathaway was sitting in the back.

Guardian Jameson was sitting beside her and looking at her as if she was some sort of miracle. I could see the longing in his eyes, and it made me sick. She was seventeen and he was thirty-three. It was bad enough that I found her attractive.

With Jameson staring at her like that I was really surprised that he didn't notice the first thing that I did about her at that moment. Her face was slack of all emotion. She looked even a little pale. Almost lifeless. It scared me. If I hadn't seen her breathing I would have sworn she was dead.

I shuddered at the brief glance and proceeded to pick up my novel.

The plane ride was boring. I made little conversation with Vasilisa, and the chatter that occurred consisted of me reassuring her and the princess making small whimpers. I wanted her to understand that they would be fine, or at least she would be. I would protect her. Nothing was ever going to happen to her under my guardianship, and after last time, I won't leave her side.

Painful memories flooded back into me but I pushed them away.

The plane was going to land soon, and I decided to go to the back and talk to Rose. I gave a quick nod to Jameson and he swiftly got up and took place next to Vasilisa. I sat beside Rose, trying to fight the urge to run my fingers through her hair. That might come across weird.

She looked away from me, and that made talking to her a lot easier. I wasn't sure what I was going to say, but I felt like I needed to say _something_. Silent moments ticked away and she never turned her head away from the window. "Were you really going to attack all of us?" I finally asked.

She didn't answer so I kept talking. "Doing that…protecting her like that—it was very brave." It probably wasn't the best idea to encourage that, it was a foolish move that would have gotten her killed if I was a Strigoi. "_Stupid,_ but still brave. Why did you even try it?"

I didn't expect her to answer, so when she did her words came as a sort of surprise. She brushed her beautiful hair away from her face and locked onto my eyes. Her eyes held so much depth; I just wanted to jump into her world. Jump into her mind and find out what she was all about. "Because I'm her guardian." Then she looked away and I felt my heart beating faster. That's not a good sign.

Rose was seventeen years old, I was twenty-four—that's definitely illegal. We were both going to become Lissa's guardians one day, and she was a student at the academy I served. I couldn't be getting all love-sick due to an attractive minor. It was wrong in so many ways.

I realized then that I was actually still sitting with Rose. There would obviously be no more conversation so I stood up and walked back to Princess Dragomir.

The jet landed and Rose looked less eager to get off of it then she did to board it. She was probably realizing there was no hope of getting away from this, and that she was going back to the academy. The car ride back to St. Vladimir's was relatively quiet. There were several guards in the very back, but Jameson drove with Rose in the passenger seat and me and Lissa were in the back.

The only real conversation was between Jameson and the guards at the gate of the Academy who had to confirm that we weren't Strigoi. Jameson didn't really have to say anything, though. They saw my face and knew I wasn't Strigoi, so they waved us through.

It was around sunset which is morning in the Moroi world. If I weren't in the middle of this task I would probably be sitting on the bench by the gym with a coffee and watching the beautiful colors dip into the horizon. I was so happy that this was finally over with, and I could go back to my normal life style.

Me and the other guards led the girls through the secondary campus and onto the upper classmen's quad, it held the academic buildings and the Moroi and dhampir dorm rooms. The middle and elementary students lived farther west, but I wasn't too familiar with that section. I worked mainly on the secondary campus, looking over the classrooms and patrolling the school. All in all I had a lot of free time since I began working at the Academy, and as many people would love that, it gave me too much unwanted time. Time that I used for thinking and remembering.

Remembering the six Strigoi that I have killed. Despite the typical red-ringed eyes, pale skin, and menacing grins, each Strigoi had a distinct face, and it was impossible for me to forget even one of them. In times of my largest weaknesses I would picture those faces, and I would erase all the hideous Strigoi features from them and I would put a story behind them. The most painful ones to see were the ones that were clearly dhampir before they turned. And even though I knew that killing was wrong—definitely sinful—I knew that killing the Strigoi was beyond right. I was protecting so many Moroi, dhampirs, and even human that what I was doing had to be right. Not to mention, not all of those Strigoi could have turned willingly, morally that would make no sense. So I know that if they could return to their previous state, even if only for mere moments, they would be begging me to plunge my silver stake right through their hearts. Or at least that's what I would do.

My mind wandering to such vindictive thoughts was nowhere near healthy, so I was awfully grateful when Rose approached me, and knocked away my reveries.

"Hey, Comrade," she said.

I didn't look at her, that might thrust my mind into a whole other set of unwanted imaginings. Her nick name kind of surprised me—it was completely ridiculous—but I didn't really mind it. But, I wasn't about to break down and have a girl talk with her. I needed to remain strong. "You want to talk now?" I asked, my voice low and husky.

"Are you taking us to Kirova?" She sounded so typically teenager-like that it was almost funny. Did she not realize she was headed for a whirlwind of trouble?

I didn't voice that opinion though. I stopped being so straight forward after I found out that my charge died. I became quiet and pretty much kept to myself, I haven't let anyone in since his death. Instead, all I said was, "_Headmistress_ Kirova."

"Headmistress. Whatever. She's still a self-righteous old bit—"I was beginning to see very clearly the amount of respect that Rose had for Headmistress Kirova. She didn't seem to have much respect for anyone, and as shocking as it would seem, she was becoming less beautiful with every word spoken. But that could also be because I was still too afraid to look at her.

I was about to cut off her sentence, but it dropped the moment she walked through the doors that led to the commons. I risked looking over at her as her face fell and she let out a nice, big sigh. I looked at her eyes and they twinkled with a mixture of emotions. Anger, shame, fear, familiarity, and desperateness. I knew exactly what she was thinking.

It felt weird to think back to when I was a teenager myself. I wouldn't go as far as to say I was as reckless as Rose, or disrespectful, or as all around shunned as she was, but I was nowhere near as disciplined and controlled as I am now. In fact, I was your average teenage guy. I longed for popularity and pretty girls as much as the next guy. Therefore, I know that right now, if I was her, I would be trying to run in the opposite direction. Away from all of her previous class mates.

She knew that all eyes would be on her and Vasilisa as they walked through, and she was definitely not wrong. It almost made me feel terrible for her, but then my guardian mind snapped back and it reminded me that she brought this upon herself and her best friend.

It was breakfast time, and at first all the Moroi and dhampir were going about their normal days—eating and chatting amongst themselves. But, it seemed almost simultaneous, as they noticed the brunette and blond that were sauntering through, the whole area was put on pause. Eyes followed their every move, and jaws dropped. There was no noise other than small gasps and quiet "Oh my Gods".

Rose tried to appear strong as she stared back at each and every one of them with a 'carefree' smile. Vasilisa and Rose were both clearly examining their old life. I saw Rose's eyes travel to various people, and there was a lot of recognition flashing in her eyes. As her eyes traveled to different faces she made different reactions. Sometimes I could see the corner of her lips pull up a little, like she wanted to smile, and with others a saw a small cringe. It didn't surprise me that she didn't like everybody, though she was probably the most popular girl in a school that she no longer attended.

Her eyes rested for quite some time upon a Moroi couple. Both blond and beautiful as Moroi usually were. I couldn't read her response, her face just kind of twisted and she looked like she dove into deep thought. I wondered if that might have a been a guy she dated in the past, or if he was a really good friend. I, for one, didn't know who either of them were, considering neither of them were royal. For some reason, though, I knew she wasn't friends with the girl. I don't know how I knew, I could just kind of sense it.

As we exited the commons we immediately entered the Headmistress's office. I found myself not being able to peel my eyes away from Rose. But I was no longer gawking, I was just sort of attached, as if she were some form of mold I were studying for a science project. Of course, she definitely did not resembling any form of mold imaginable.

She looked over Headmistress Kirova and I could tell that she was unaware of the scowl that spread across her face.

All of the guardians were leaving, and I knew I had to as well, but Alberta Petrov—the leader of the guardians here at the academy—put her arm in front of my chest as I tried to leave. She shook her head and whispered for me to stay and watch. I nodded and did as I was instructed. We pushed ourselves towards the walls, taking the normal guardian stance.

If I was in Rose's position, I would probably be quite frightened. Besides Vasilisa and Victor Dashkov, everybody in this room could easily take her down. But still, Ellen Kirova was not someone who was very pleasant when she was angry, in fact, she was the polar opposite of pleasant. Her eyes nearly glowed red and popped out of her head, her eyebrows stayed lifted, and her teeth were mashed together. She had control over this school, and Rose should be careful, though, for some reason I knew she wasn't going to be.

Ellen opened her mouth to begin her lecture, but she was cut off immediately by Victor Dashkov.

"Vasilisa," he gushed from his chair in the corner. Rose looked at him, and it was obvious that she was pleased to see him, though she didn't realize he was there.

He stood up, which obviously wasn't easy for someone in his condition. I had seen Prince Dashkov only once or twice before then, but with each sighting he seems to have aged more and more. I knew he had a terrible disease called Sandovsky's disease, but I honestly didn't know that it worked so quickly. He was probably about forty or so, but he looked to be maybe eighty. It was sad.

The girls jumped from their seats and greeted him for a small time. Headmistress Kirova seemed to have had enough though when she brought Vasilisa back to her seat and began her lecture. I didn't really listen too intently, I knew it covered the basics. Rose's stupidity and selfishness, stuff like that. The topics that I'd heard multiple times since my arrival.

But then she turned directly to Rose, and it snapped me to my attention, because although you'd think after getting so much off of her chest she would be calming down, she was just fuming more. It was beginning to show that there was something about Rosemarie Hathaway's presence that just put everyone on edge.

Rose was clearly in the same position as I, not listening too much until the rant switched to her.

"You, Miss Hathaway, broke the most sacred promises among our kind: the promise of a guardian to protect a Moroi. It is a great trust. A trust that you violated by selfishly taking the princess away from here. The Strigoi would love to finish off the Dragomirs; _you_ nearly enabled them to do it."

I'm pretty sure my own jaw dropped upon hearing that. That was really harsh, especially because I _still_ was making myself believe that there was a legitimate reason for Rose removing the princess from the school.

I knew I was right when Vasilisa chimed, "Rose didn't kidnap me. I wanted to go."

Rose looked so happy and proud as her best friend defended her. It momentarily wiped away the anger that was boiling in Rose.

Of course, Rose was crushed down when Ms. Kirova shook her head and began pacing the room. She clucked her tongue and I could tell that she was on the verge of a humorless laugh. She held it back and clasped her hands behind her back.

She rolled her eyes. "Miss Dragomir, you could have been the one who orchestrated the entire plan for all I know, but it is still _her_ responsibility to make sure you didn't carry it out." Those words made me frown. Of course, in Moroi society that was true, but every dhampir hated it and knew that it was very unfair. It was just one of the consequences of accepting a life of protecting others. That is a large reason why many people don't become guardians. "If she'd done her duty, she would have notified someone. If she'd done her duty, she would have kept you safe."

I knew that that remark was bound to set Rose off. Boy was I right. She pounced from her chair, and I thought she was about to wrap her hands around Ellen's neck. "I did do my duty!" she screamed, and I'm not sure if she was aware just how loud she was. I was almost certain that if there were still students in the commons area, that they would be able to hear her voice ringing. I knew I flinched but Alberta gave me a look that said _not yet._ She clearly knew the tactics of Rose Hathaway.

"I did keep her safe I kept her safe when none of _you _could do it." Rose was flailing her arms now, though I think she was supposed to be gesturing to all of us in the room. She kind of looked like a mad woman. She was gritting her teeth and she was nearly shaking. Some temper.

"I did what I had to do. You certainly weren't going to." Her breath was heavy and honestly, it looked like she was on the verge of tears, though I wasn't sure. Maybe her eyes just sparkled like that when she was angry.

Kirova just gave Rose a blank stare, not buying a word of it. "Miss Hathaway, forgive me if I fail to see the logic of how taking her out of a heavily guarded, magically secured environment is protecting her. Unless there's something you're not telling us." Kirova said it as if she knew that wasn't the case, and when Rose didn't say anything I could see her face turn condescending.

But I knew that there _was_ something, I just wasn't sure what.

Rose bit down on her bottom lip nervously to the point where people could think that she was trying to eat her face. On anyone else, it would look like she had down syndrome. But on her it wasn't so bad.

"I see. Well, then. By my estimation, the only reason you left—aside from the novelty of it, no doubt—was to avoid the consequences of that horrible, destructive stunt you pulled just before your dissapearence."

_No!_ I wanted to scream. I knew that wasn't the reason. It just couldn't be. I knew that Rose was smarter than that. It was weird though, that I felt the need to stick up for her so badly, and that I was so attracted to her. I was beginning to feel somewhat like a pedophile, there is a difference between thinking a younger girl is attractive and developing feelings for her. It just wasn't right.

And I wasn't sure that I was developing feelings for her, for some reason I feel like I had feelings for her since the moment I laid eyes on her. I couldn't explain it. But I knew it was just wrong, and it needed to end before anything could begin. Before she could find out, because, though I would never say this out loud, I knew I was attractive. I was a tan Russian with toned muscles, even girls like Rose appreciate looks like I have.

If she didn't know that I had feelings for her, surely she wouldn't bring it up and she would push any feelings she had for me aside, right? I would never know, then I would think that she didn't like me, then I could quickly move on. Right?

"No, that's not—" She interrupted my thoughts once more, and once more I was grateful. Damn, I need to stop having morbid thoughts.

"And that only makes my decision that much easier. As a Moroi, the princess must continue on here at the Academy for her own safety, but we have no such obligations to you. You will be sent away as soon as possible." Ms. Kirova declared.

My stomach lurched. "I…what?" she asked mimicking my thoughts. Her arrogance faded quickly and she went limp, like she knew she just lost a fight.

Lissa stood up quickly, clearly ready to put her foot down. But she grew timid at the last moment, so her strong declaration transformed into something shaky and whiny. "You can't do that! She's my guardian."

I already knew what was coming.

"She is no such thing, particularly since she isn't even a guardian at all. She's still a novice."

Lissa drooped but continued on. "But my parents—"

"I know what your parents wanted, God rest their souls, but things have changed. Miss Hathaway is expendable. She doesn't deserve to be a guardian, and she will leave."

Honestly, Headmistress could have reworded that better. _She doesn't deserve to be a guardian_. Guardian numbers were continuously dropping, and we could use all the help we could get. Women, especially, are very important. More women refuse to become a guardian each day. If anything, we _needed_ Rose. I was about to say something, but Rose cut me off.

"Where are you going to send me? To my mom in Nepal? Did she even know I was gone? Or maybe you'll send me off to my _father?_" That last word held so much acid that I nearly felt the need to cringe. I wondered the story behind that? Everyone knew that her moth was Janine Hathaway one of the greatest guardians of our time, but nobody really knew much about her father. I figured she probably didn't know much herself.

Ms. Kirova's eyes narrowed, as if she was trying to shoot laser beams at Rose. She wanted to say something, but Rose cut her off as well. Only this time her voice was like ice, sending shivers down my spine.

"Or maybe you're going to try to send me off to be a blood whore. Try that, and we'll be gone by the end of the day."

I looked over at Guardian Petrov and her eyes were wide with disbelief at the girls words. Mine weren't. Such cruel words didn't surprise me coming form Rose, and I had another one of those feelings where she was just growing uglier with each word. My family was made up of all girls beside myself, and they had all been considered blood whores. The rumors and stereotypes that go around about the women that don't become guardians is ridiculous and it hurt me when I heard this term used in such a bitter way.

"Miss Hathaway," Ellen growled, "you are out of line." That was something that we could both agree on.

But my anger subsided quickly. Rose was just a teenager, and she didn't know any better. She just knew what Academies like this had taught her about those women that are like my family. I decided that she could use some help, because my mind was conflicting itself.

With each word she said I began to resent her, but I still knew that she was the most beautiful girl that I had ever met and that there was a strong part of me that wanted to know her better.

"They have a bond," I stated. All pairs of eyes turned to me. Rose looked at me intently and her eyes twinkled. I looked straight at her when I spoke next. "Rose knows what Vasilisa is feeling. Don't you?" I was seriously surprised that I was the only one who noticed.

Kirova's eyes widened with shock and she shook her head. Her eyes moved from Rose to me several times. "No…that's impossible. That hasn't happened in centuries."

"It's obvious!" I said. "I suspected it as soon as I started watching them." That sounded a lot more heroic and a lot less creepy in my head.

Rose looked away from me, probably because I sounded like a creepy stalker then.

I forgot that Victor was in the room, in fact the only person that was there was Rose. But Victor spoke and everyone tore their attention from me to him. "This is a gift. A rare and wonderful thing. "

I was happy that Victor was on my side and I was hoping that maybe together we had a chance of swinging Ellen's decision. "The best guardians always had that bond. In the stories." I claimed.

But that didn't help, it just made Kirova angry once again. "Stories that are centuries old! Surely you aren't suggesting we let her stay at the Academy after everything she's done?" Kirova nearly shouted.

I gave a light shrug and said, "She might be wild and disrespectful, but if she has potential—"

Rose growled and interrupted me. "Wild and disrespectful? Who the hell are you anyway? Outsourced help?"

Did she not know when somebody was trying to help her? It was either that, or she didn't want anyone to help her—she was always the hero. Well that's not going to work this time. That's what got her into this mess in the first place.

"Guardian Belikov is the princess's guardian now. Her _sanctioned_ guardian." Explained Headmistress Kirova. I didn't expect a good reaction, but I didn't expect what she said next.

"You got cheap foreign labor to protect Lissa?" She snorted. I tried to ignore the comment because I knew she was clearly upset and her emotions were getting the best of her. But I do have to admit the comment wasn't as clever as she thought it was.

Kirova threw her hands up and turned to me. "You see? Completely undisciplined! All the psychic bonds and _very_ raw potential in the world can't make up for that. A guardian without discipline is worse than no guardian." I had to disagree with that. I would have liked to say that, too. I would have before Ivan died. I used to speak my mind a lot when he was around. I mentally shook myself. _He's dead, Dimitri. He's not here anymore. Face it. _

"So teach her discipline," I said over the lump in my throat. "Classes just started. Put her back in and get her training again." It sounded so simple, but life wasn't that easy, so there was going to be a catch, I knew this already.

"Impossible," Ms. Kirova scoffed. "She'll still be hopelessly behind her peers."

I was vaguely aware of Rose saying something, but I wasn't sure what. I ignored her, as did Headmistress Kirova.

"Then give her extra training sessions," I argued.

"Who's going to put in the extra time? You?" Laughed Kirova and I paused. I wasn't expecting that, although I should have been.

"Well, that's not what I—"

Ms. Kirova folded her arms over her chest and smiled victoriously. "Yes. That's what I thought."

I frowned. That certainly didn't go as I expected. I weighed the options. It would give me something to do. It would take my mind off of…Ivan. I'd be doing a good thing for someone. But that could also make it a very bad thing for many others, with the way that this girl was talked about. But seeing her every day? That would not help with these jumbled feelings in my mind. I would have to deal with her dry humor and 'witty' remarks. No, I couldn't. That would just be too much.

I was ready to decline, but then I turned my head and looked at them. Both with big pleading eyes and desperate faces. They were closer than best friends, they were practically sisters. Being separated would kill both of them. I think of Ivan, and the emptiness that now encompasses me, and I made my decision.

"Yes," I spit out before I could change my mind. "I can mentor Rose. I'll give her extra sessions along with her normal ones."

I wanted to look at the girls reactions, but Kirova cut into my heroic moment. "And then what?" she sneered. "She goes unpunished?" Why was I beginning to feel like I was the only one using my head?

"Find some other way to punish her. Guardian numbers have gone down too much to risk losing another. A girl in particular." I say, recalling my earlier thoughts.

Victor decided to speak then, "I'm inclined to agree with Guardian Belikov. Sending Rose away would be a shame, a waste of talent."

As Ms. Kirova turned to gaze out her window I knew I was successful. I had made a good point and now Rose was going to be able to stay at the Academy. With extra training sessions. With me. I hope I did not just get myself into something I will regret.

When Ms. Kirova turned back Vasilisa looked her levelly in the eyes and said in a low voice, "Please, Ms. Kirova. Let Rose stay."

My jaw dropped. Lissa was trying to use compulsion. Was I the only one that noticed? No, of course Rose did too. Her eyes widened a little and her breath caught. I remained calm, Ms. Kirova clearly didn't notice, and I wondered if it even worked. Moroi for the most part couldn't use compulsion on one another, but in the old stories, those with the bonds were very strong and talented with compulsion.

Finally, Ms. Kirova let out a sigh. "If Miss Hathaway stays, here's how it will be." She pivoted and faced Rose. "Your continued enrollment at St. Vladimir's is strictly probationary. Step out of line _once_, and you're gone. You will attend all classes and required trainings for novices your age. You will also train with Guardian Belikov in every spare moment you have—before _and_ after classes. Other than that, you are banned from all social activities, except meals, and will stay in your dorm. Fail to comply with any of this and you will be sent…away."

I expected Rose to be grateful and fall to her knees and thank Ellen for the wonderful opportunity. I should have known better. Instead she gives a hollow laugh. "Banned from all social activities? Are you trying to keep us apart? Afraid we'll run away again?"

That's exactly what she was doing, was it not obvious? I knew it would only be temporary, no matter what Headmistress says. If Rose behaves, Ms. Kirova will cave. But of she keeps up what she's doing, Kirova will take it back and send her away immediately.

"I'm taking precautions. As I'm sure you recall, you were never properly punished for destroying school property. You have a lot to make up for. You are being offered a very generous deal. I suggest you don't let your attitude endanger it."

Rose opened her mouth, presumably to argue, but then her eyes locked onto mine and she paused. I was trying to send encouraging vibes, trying to show her with my eyes that all she needed to do was say okay. She dragged her eyes away, but the message must have delivered.

"Fine," she finally muttered. "I accept."


	3. Chapter 3

I was so happy that Rose accepted. I don't know why. It just meant that I was going to be spending excessive time with her, and that could not lead anywhere good. But still, I was thrilled.

As everyone began to depart, Headmistress Kirova pulled me to the side. "Make sure you keep an eye on her," she hissed. "It's her first day back, I bet she's a little riled up."

I nodded. I could have guaranteed she was right.

I asked Alberta to help me for a little while, because she really didn't have anything better to do. She agreed and we walked Rose to the guidance room so that she could get her schedule. It was pretty harsh. She was living in the human world, along with human time, so right now she would be sleeping.

They should have let her and Princess Dragomir get some rest before sending them to classes, but well, the faculty was not on Rose's side.

We were with the guidance counselor for only a few minutes or so. Alberta and I watched as he scribbled down some classes. When he handed the paper to Rose she looked a little short of depressed. The days here at the academy were a lot longer than normal schools because the dhampirs had to take normal classes along with their combat classes, and to be fair the Moroi took extra classes as well.

We led Rose to her first class which was _Advanced Guardian Combat Techniques._ A class that she clearly did not belong in just yet. But a little time practicing with me and she would catch up fast.

I wished I could turn around to look at Rose. I wanted to see her face so badly. That was not a good sign, but I'd figure that all out later. At that moment I just wanted to watch her. I stayed strong, though, and kept my eyes ahead of me. We all walked in silence.

The second we entered the gymnasium all eyes fell on Rose. The room was filled with mostly all guys, so the gazes were more admiring than astonished like they were in the commons. Rose didn't seem to notice.

She showed a brief second of insecurity and then covered it up by returning the stares of all her peers. She scanned her audience and when she saw one kid her face lit up. "Hey Mason, wipe the drool off your face. If you're going to think about me naked, do it on your own time."

My eyes narrowed at Rose. Out of all the things she could have said, she picked the most inappropriate. I was already beginning to understand her reputation with men.

I looked at Mason. I knew who he was. He was a great fighter. The rest of the guardian staff just knew him by Ashford. As I looked at him, it was clear that he was more than glad to see Rose had returned. His eyes followed her like a lovesick puppy. Something in my stomach twisted.

I wondered what their past was. Had they dated before she left? Why did I find myself asking those questions with every guy that Rose looked at?

He had brownish-red hair and his face was splattered with freckles. He didn't seem like the type of guy Rose would be interested in. She could do so much better. But who was I to judge?

There were a few laughs around the room and Mason had snapped back to his attention, throwing Rose a goofy grin. No, I decided, that was not a previous boyfriend. I mean, if it was there was no way that she could not be interested in me…

"This is my time, Hathaway. I'm leading today's session." He said proudly, trying to impress her. Huh! That was nothing compared to what I could do. _Dimitri…_my internal voice warned. Guardian mode, I thought. I had to stay in guardian mode.

"Oh yeah?" Rose snorted. "Huh. Well I guess this is a good time to think about me naked, then."

"It's _always_ a good time to think about you naked," chimed another novice. Castile, I think. He and Ashford were two of the best novices there.

Forget the guardian wall, I was a male, therefore I was entitled to agree with Castile. But I was an adult, a guardian. I should not have been approving such acts. So, instead I shook my head. Guardian mode, I reminded myself again.

I snapped into formal mode and realized that such behavior for high school students was inexcusable. "Impulsive teenagers," I mumbled in Russian. "Foolish, Ill-mannered children." I was walking away.

I didn't know where I was going to go. I just needed to get away from that scenario there. Those children were seniors, which meant that they were close to becoming guardians. Being that immature…well that could cause some problems.

I tried to remember my senior year. That was the year when I buckled down and really started focusing on my duties as a guardian. I knew that my life was no longer going to be about me, and I learned to deal with that. It was easy for me, though. I had Ivan. The same way that Rose had Lissa.

I couldn't help but recall all the stupid stunts I pulled my senior year. Maybe I wasn't so different from them after all.

I used to fight a lot of kids outside of classes. Always dhampir, though, never Moroi. I wouldn't start any, of course. It was always the other person. They hated that all of the guardians gave me such high praise during training and they wanted to see what I really had in me. Ivan, of course, was always cheering me on.

I didn't lose once.

Nobody at the academy knew that about me, along with many other things, and I didn't want them too. The truth was, since Ivan's death I had been so much more closed off and reserved that nobody in America really knew anything about me at all, other than the professional back ground.

I hated thinking back to my younger days. Every time I thought about those times it would lead me to think about Ivan, and then his death…and that hurt too much. Ivan was the one person that I was ever able to trust. Probably the only person I will ever trust.

I tried to snap myself back into reality. I checked my watch and there was only five minutes left in Rose's first class. I remembered from her schedule that her next class was _Bodyguard Theory and Personal Protection 3_. Yet another class she was not prepared for. And I knew that that class was instructed by Stan Alto, who made his distaste for Miss Hathaway no secret. He didn't know she had returned yet, and I couldn't help but be excited to see the look on his face when he saw Rose sitting in his classroom.

I headed towards the main building to take a spot in the back of Guardian Alto's class. Moments later Rose walked through the door and sat in a seat in the back.

When Stan walked in his eyes settled on Rose and then widened in a sick, sarcastic way. He walked to Rose's seat and gasped in mock astonishment. "What's this?" He said. "No one told me we had a guest speaker here today. Rose Hathaway. What a privilege!" Stan scowled and his next words were cold. "How very _generous_ of you to take time out of your busy schedule and share your knowledge with us."

Rose's cheeks turned a light shade of pink as her face hardened. If looks could kill, Stan would have dropped dead right then and there. However, Guardian Alto didn't seem intimidated at all, as he shouldn't have. He made a hand movement, telling Rose to stand up.

"Well, come on, come one. Don't sit there! Come up to the front so you can help me lecture the class."

What he was doing was cruel. Rose had been punished enough already. Stan's job was to teach, Headmistress Kirova was in charge of issuing penalties.

Rose dipped lower in her seat as all eyes landed on her. There were a lot of dropped jaws, and I think that no matter who was in that classroom and no matter what type of relationship they had with rose, every single dhampir felt bad for her. Even I felt bad for her.

"You don't really mean—" She started, her voice soft and timid. It was almost sad. I wished that I could jump in and help her. She needed help. I could tell that she didn't get enough. I knew just by looking at Rose and Vasilisa that for the two years they were away from the Academy, Rose did all the work. She made sure Lissa was safe while trying to make sure they remained inconspicuous.

Stan's face went from taunting to a pure look of disgust. How could any one look at Rose with disgust? I thought. "I mean _exactly_ what I say, Hathaway. Go to the front of the class." He sneered.

She stood up and looked at the students around her. They were agonizingly silent, making me want to reach out and help her. I wanted to help her so bad. But I couldn't.

Rose threw her beautiful hair over her shoulders and tried to return all of her class mates stares with ferocity. She had been doing that a lot that day. She was trying to seem so brave and so strong, but I could tell she was an average seventeen year old girl just trying to fit in. It hurt to watch it all.

A few people gave Rose encouraging looks and sympathetic smiles. Then her eyes traveled to the back of the class. Traveled and rested on me. Maybe I was imagining things, but I could have swore her gaze lasted just a moment longer on me than it did on the rest of the guardians I stood with. Maybe, just maybe, though, it was wishful thinking.

Stan was now grinning like a fool. I would have loved to have punched that smile right from his face. "So, Hathaway," he chimed cheerfully, following Rose to the front of the class. "Enlighten us about your protective techniques."

"My…techniques?" She stumbled.

"Of course," he scoffed. "Because presumably you must have had some sort of plan the rest of us couldn't understand when you took an underage Moroi royal out of the academy and exposed her to constant Strigoi threats."

"We never ran into any Strigoi," she answered roughly.

"Obviously," he let out a chuckle as if he were having a normal conversation. "I already figured that out, seeing as how you're still alive."

Rose was definitely getting angry. Her eyes were clouded with irritation and something else…Awareness, perhaps? I saw the bruises that were already beginning to cover her body. She had been destroyed during practice, and she realized that as she was speaking with Stan. She knew that he was right. She got lucky.

She stayed quiet and I could tell she was struggling to retain her temper.

"So what'd you do?" he urged. "How'd you make sure she stayed safe? Did you avoid going out at night?" He already knew the answer to that.

"Sometimes," Was all she said.

"_Sometimes_," he mimicked in a girly, teenage voice. He was doing all he could to embarrass her. It was working. "Well then, I suppose you slept during the day and stayed on guard at night." He knew the response to that one as well.

"Er…no." she muttered sheepishly.

"No? But that's one of the first things mentioned in the chapter on solo guarding." His eyes focused more on her and the corners of his mouth twitched with his next words. He spoke slowly, "Oh wait, you wouldn't know that because _you weren't here._"

Rose took a deep breath. She was showing an amazing amount of self-control. But I think that was obvious to only me. A few of the guardians that stood beside me muttered to one another, saying things like, "She deserves it." But she didn't.

"I watched the area whenever we went out," she claimed and I could sense a hint of desperateness in her voice.

"Oh? Well that's something. Did you use Carnegie's Quadrant Surveillance Method or the Rotational Survey?"

Why was he doing this? He was wasting his class time! He was an instructor, he was supposed to be more mature! He shouldn't have been so smug on showing up a teenager. What did that prove to anyone?

Rose didn't answer.

"Ah. I'm guessing you used the Hathaway Glance-Around-When-You-Remember-To Method."

"No! That's not true. I watched her. She's still alive, isn't she?" Rose shouted.

He leaned in her face. "Because you got _lucky_." He said, mimicking my earlier thoughts.

"Strigoi aren't lurking around every corner out there. It's not like what we've been taught. It's safer than you guys make it sound," She cried.

It was generally true—I had only run into six Strigoi in seven years since I had graduated my academy back in Russia—but that didn't matter to them.

"Safer?" Stan retorted. "_Safer?_ We are at war with Strigoi!" He yelled. "One of them could walk right up to you and snap your pretty little neck before you even noticed him—and he'd barely break a sweat doing it." I cringed. It was harsh and vindictive. Yet, he was right. "You might have more speed and strength than a Moroi or a human, but you are nothing, _nothing, _compared to a Strigoi. They are deadly, and they are powerful. And do you know what makes them more powerful?"

Rose's face was blank now, she had put up the perfect guardian mask and didn't even realize it. She turned away and her eyes focused on me. I wanted to give her a smile of encouragement, but that might have been taken the wrong way by others. Instead I kept my face as blank and emotionless as the rest of them.

"Moroi blood," she whimpered.

"What was that?" Stan asked loudly. "I didn't catch it."

Rose spun towards him once more and her guardian mask had vanished. Her eyes were furious and she spat back, "Moroi blood! Moroi blood makes them stronger."

Stan kept that same snug look and nodded. He took a few steps back. "Yes. It does. It makes them stronger and harder to destroy. They'll kill and drink from a human or a dhampir, but they want Moroi blood more than anything else. They seek it. They've turned to the dark side to gain immortality, and they want to do whatever they can to keep immortality. Desperate Strigoi have attacked Moroi in public. Groups of Strigoi have raided academies exactly like this one. There are Strigoi who have lived for thousands of years and fed off generations of Moroi. They're almost impossible to kill. And _that_ is why Moroi numbers are dropping. They aren't strong enough—even with guardians—to protect themselves. Some Moroi don't even see the point of running anymore and are simply turning Strigoi by choice. And as the Moroi disappear…" He trailed off to let her finish the statement.

She did: "…so do the dhampirs."

"Well, it looks like you learned something after all," he sneered. "Now we'll have to see if you can learn enough to pass this class and qualify for your field experience next semester."

I knew she could. I would make her. I was her mentor. But the other guardians sent hisses of disagreement. They didn't think it was possible.

Rose was sent back to her chair and she had a look of gratefulness on her face. My eyes never left her. She didn't seem to have been paying attention to the class. And, although it didn't help her any, I couldn't blame her. She was probably reliving that scene over and over again. I know I would have been.

I stayed with her for her next two classes as well. Nothing eventful really happened in them. The teachers regarded Rose with a moment of shock and then went on with their normal lessons. Then came lunch.

As Rose headed to the cafeteria I stepped beside her and began to walk with her.

"I suppose you saw what happened in Stan's class?" She asked.

"Yes."

"And you don't think it was unfair?"

I did. I thought it was terrible. But I was a guardian. I had to agree with Alto, because he was trying to teach her a lesson. I could get into a lot of trouble if I went against his 'teaching methods'. "Was he right?" I said. "Do you think you were fully prepared to protect Vasilisa?" I knew it was kind of low, but it had to be said. Guardian mode.

She kept her eyes on the floor. "I kept her alive," she said softly.

"How did you do fighting against your classmates today?" I reminded her.

She didn't answer, she didn't need to. It was so painstakingly obvious. She had another training session after Alto's class, and unsurprisingly she got obliterated then too.

"If you can't fight _them_—" I continued.

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

I had to slow my pace to match hers. She was clearly aching. "You're strong and fast by nature. You just need to keep yourself trained. Didn't you play any sports while you were gone?"

"Sure," she gave a small shrug. "Now and then."

"You didn't join any teams?" I asked, shocked. I figured that would be the least she could do.

"Too much work. If I'd wanted to practice that much, I'd have stayed here."

Really? Did she even want to keep Princess Dragomir safe? That was a stupid question. Of course she did. It was written all over her face. She tried so hard to protect Vasilisa from everything. But she was young and without proper guidance and training.

I shot her a look. "You'll never be able to really protect the princess if you don't hone your skills. You'll always be lacking."

"I'll be able to protect her," she said quickly. I could tell she was so sick of everyone's disapproving lectures and stares. She had a good motive for leaving, I just knew she did. One that she couldn't tell anyone. She desperately wanted someone to understand. I wished that I could be that person.

"You have no guarantees of being assigned to her, you know—for your field experience _or_ after you graduate." I kept my voice low and semi-cold. I was the adult here. I was supposed to be leading her in the right direction. "No one wants to waste the bond—but no one's going to give her an inadequate guardian either. If you want to be with her, then you need to work for it. You have your lessons. You have me. Use us or don't. You're an ideal choice to guard Vasilisa when you both graduate—if you can prove you're worthy. I hope you will." I really hoped she did.

"Lissa," she corrected. "call her Lissa."

I said all of that and all she could do was correct me on what to call the princess? I walked away.

I still wasn't sure about Rosemarie Hathaway. Rose. Roza. So beautiful, so lethal. Yet, so incredibly stupid. I felt like I understood her, and another part of me felt like she was a great enigma that I was soon to unravel.

But no matter what, I didn't regret accepting the position of mentoring her. She had so much potential, and I knew that I could help her reach her full abilities. Sure, it would be a lot of work. But for some reason I knew she was worth it. I couldn't protect Ivan. But I could train Rose. And I could turn her into something large. Together we _would_ keep Princess Vasilisa Dragomir safe.


	4. Chapter 4

I knew that Rose had lunch now. I didn't think that she would get in _much_ trouble. It was the only time since this morning that she would get to see Vasilisa—Lissa still felt too weird to call the princess.

It was my lunch as well, and I was anxious to get back to my room and focus on my western novel—certainly that would distract me from all my unwanted thoughts and images—and a nice hot cup of coffee. It had been a long day in every sense.

I walked hastily across the campus, making my way back to the guardian housing. I was just walking through the door to the lobby when I was spotted by an old friend. Something Smirnov.

Okay, friend wasn't quite the word I was looking for. I couldn't stand the guy. He had gone to school with me back in Russia and was one of the guys who had been immensely jealous of my combat skills. He was nearly my height but lacked a lot of the muscle I had. Up until junior year he was pretty uncoordinated and a lousy fighter. Though over the summer to senior year he bulked up and transformed into a relatively challenging fighter he was never able to drop his previous reputation.

When graduation time came we were both assigned to protect Zecklos'. I was given Ivan. Not only because I graduated with top numbers, but because Ivan wanted me—along with several other Moroi—and I wanted him. Seven years ago, the guardian numbers were a lot larger, therefore we had enough novices to protect every royal at our school, plus other important Moroi.

So, while I was given a Zecklos prince, Smirnov had been assigned to a kid. His charge had just entered middle school. And even though being prearranged with a Zecklos was still pretty impressive, Smirnov had envied my immediate arrangement.

When I arrived at St. Vladimir's Academy he was beyond shocked to see me. Once he found out that Ivan had been killed, he grew condescending and began to believe that he was better than me because his charge was still alive. It was a stupid thought. Not only had I taken down three times more Strigoi than him, but he never even had to defend his kid. Not until after he graduated this year would Smirnov have to defend him.

"Belikov," he greeted with that smug grin of his.

It was true that I didn't like him, but he was a fellow guardian and I had to regard him in a proper way. I gave him a polite nod.

I was almost to the staircase with my escape when he called my name again. I halted and turned to face him. "Is it true that you're taking Hathaway under your wing?"

I resisted the urge to scowl. I knew what was coming. Despite the fact that he had been teased throughout all of high school life, he hadn't learned just how much rumors could destroy a person's reputation. And just how much reputations could drag someone down—especially a dhampir.

I nodded. "Yes. I'm going to teach her how to be a great fighter."

He scoffed. "Not even _you_ can manage that. But I bet you know that. You're just looking forward to all the physical contact. I mean," he let out a low whistle. "Have you seen her? She is one hot piece of—"

"Yes, I have seen her," I interrupted. "And want to know the first thing I noticed about her?"

He grinned. "I can only imagine. Was it her—"

"It was her _youth_." I sneered. Of course, it wasn't entirely true. But it was like the third or fourth thing I noticed.

His smile faded. "Damn, Belikov. You need to open your eyes. You have a great opportunity in front of you. I'd take it. I hear it's not so hard to get her to cave," he laughed. "Of course in that case, maybe my imagination serves better."

"Well, that's the difference between us," I told him. "I'm a professional. I don't think of students like that." Another lie. But I was hoping that if I could convince others, I could convince myself.

He brushed the comment off. "Well, there must have been a reason you offered help."

"Because I care about the Moroi protection. I'd rather she not get in my way as we protect the Princess."

He shrugged. "I don't know, man. The only other woman that I've seen you talk to outside of guardian business is that Ozera chick."

"Tasha," I corrected. "Besides Rose isn't a _woman_, she's practically a child. And this is guardian bus—"

He cut me off. "That's it! Oh wow, Belikov. You're more scandalous then I give you credit for. You and Oze—Tasha. Damn. I figured with all the dhampirs you fooled around with in high school you'd end up with one. Not a Moroi."

What he was getting at finally registered in my brain after several moments. "Me and Tasha Ozera are most certainly not involved," I told him. He looked doubtful.

Sure, Tasha and I had been together a few times. Only two or three, though. It was nothing serious. Of course we both liked each other. She was an extraordinary woman and she definitely had her own form of beauty. But last time she visited the Academy, we both decided that I was at no point in my life to commit myself to a relationship.

Finally, Smirnov began to walk towards the exit. I heard a few snickers before he called over his shoulder, "Whatever you say. But seriously, take some time to appreciate what's in front of you. "

I sighed and proceeded up the stairs. When I got to my room, not even cowboys saving the day could take my mind off of the day's events. There were a few things I knew for sure.

The first being that Rosemarie Hathaway was disrespectful, irresponsible, immature, reckless, and she did not think before acting. But she was fierce on protecting the Princess. Many believed she was a hopeless case, and there was little strand in the back of my mind that might have argued that such was true, had I not seen the protective nature she took around Vasilisa.

The second that I was absolutely positive—and I believed this with every fiber of my being—was that I would train Rose. She would become a great guardian for Vasilisa. She would face Strigoi. And I would be right there beside her.

That brought me to my third conclusion, and this one was much harder to admit, even to myself. There was something about this—this—teenager. Something about this girl that sent chills down my spine—the good kind. Something about her that made my breath stop and my heart beat a little faster with each glance. Something that undeniably attracted me to her and pulled me toward her like a magnet. Her looks were obviously a part of that, but there was more. And with many other things about her, I found myself not able to describe it.

I wondered what my mother would think of it. I knew the answer immediately. She would smile and tell me how pleased she was. She was thrilled with any decision that made me happy. That was just how she was—so kind and understanding. Compassionate. I missed her a lot. Along with the rest of my family.

Karolina, Sonya, Viktoria. Especially Viktori. I couldn't but smile at their names and the memories that consumed me. Then of course there was Yeva. Yeva who was so frightening, yet I still loved. Sure, my family had flaws. But they were perfect to me.

I spent a long while daydreaming after that. Rose didn't need me to look after her in all her classes. I recalled many glorious moments with my family—smiling, laughing, and really just enjoying life. I hadn't done a lot of that since Ivan's death. I found myself mostly haunted.

I drifted to thoughts of spring break, and winter break, and especially summer when I was younger. Sure, I loved St. Basil's. But my real home was with my family. I remembered trying to help Viktoria with her combat. And playing with little Paul. Those were very good days for me. I let myself fall into the depth of the memories, holding on to each one very fondly.

One look at the clock broke me out of my spell. I grunted as I realized my mind had wandered for over an hour, and the school day was coming to a close. Training with Roza. I was late, but I assumed that posed no problem for her.

I jumped off of the sofa and bounded down out of the guardian building. All the way to the front of the school where I figured I would find Rose with the Princess. My instincts were correct as usual. I spotted them not too far away speaking to each other in hushed tones. Planning an escape, I assumed. When were they going to realize they would not get away again?

I approached from behind them. "Rose?" I called. They immediately stopped talking. I focused my eyes on her and unsurprisingly, my heart rate increased. _Traitor._ Her eyes met mine and once again I found myself nearly drowning in their depth. "You're late for practice." I told her indifferently.

Before I reached the point of no return in her big, brown eyes, I flicked my gaze to Vasilisa. "Princess," I greeted with a nod.

Rose followed me without a word, though she stared back at her best friend. Her face told me that she was sincerely worried about Princess Dragomir. I knew it was none of my concern, it was one of those sisterly instincts. Not any real danger.

We walked in silence and I tried to keep my eyes on pavement ahead. But like I noticed before I had an unwilling pull to the girl. I allowed my eyes one look from the corner. She carried those same lifeless features that she had on the plane. I froze.

I wasn't really sure what was happening, but it was equally as scary the second time. Then something in my brain clicked. It had something to do with the bond.

**Sorry it took so long to update. This isn't even that good. But Dimitri didn't play much of a role in chapter four and I wasn't really sure what to do with him. I guess I'll learn as I go though, because I really enjoy writing this story. Reviews please, to tell me what you think! :D**


	5. Chapter 5

I wasn't really sure how to react to that expression. It was void of all emotion. Was that normal? Something I would have to get used to? I really hoped not.

I don't know how many minutes it took me to realize that I was unintentionally leaning towards her face. My hands were hovering over her shoulders. With much effort to resist touching her, I couldn't. Eventually, my hands fell to her and I began gripping.

She seemed to return to normal in that moment. Her eyes filled with all the emotions it had been lacking only moments ago. Her cheeks gained color once more. I'm not sure she realized it, but she tensed under my touch. I didn't have time to analyze exactly what that meant.

"Rose? Rose?" I asked, trying to hide just how frightened I had really been. "Are you alright?" It was hard to focus on anything, then, other than the fact that I was touching her. The warmth that radiated through her clothes sent that same warmth throughout my whole body. There was only Rose.

"I…yeah. I was…I was with Lissa…" She explained. I dropped my hands, needing to separate myself from her before I did something stupid. My eyes remained on her as one of her delicate hands went to her forehead. "I was in her head," she elaborated, though it still didn't make much sense.

"Her…head?" I tried to grasp what she meant, but I was having serious issues thinking about anything other than the faint smile that played on her lips.

"Yeah. It's part of the bond." I already knew that and I wanted to push for details, but her tone told me it was not something she felt like talking about.

"Is she alright?" I asked. I needed to focus on Vasilisa. Not on how soft and tempting Rose's lips looked.

"Yeah, she's…" She paused, taking a moment to consider. I figured she was probably tapping into Vasilisa's emotions. "She's not in danger," she finally answered. I knew I was right.

"Can you keep going?" I asked warily. Though the color had returned she still looked a little pale. The concern that enveloped me was a little dramatic and I tried to push it to the side. Teacher-student relationship. That was the only reason I was so worried. I just had to make sure my little prodigy was in good condition. From here on her fighting reflected me as a teacher. If she was a poor combatant than it could tarnish my rep.

Yeah, Dimitri. Keep telling yourself that.

Though I was lost in my own musings, I didn't miss the way her smile expanded when she noticed that my eyes were still on her. Shit, my eyes were still on her.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She replied.

I nodded as she departed to the locker room. I refused to refer to it as a _dressing room_. I was afraid of the inappropriate thoughts that those words would bring.

As she spent time in the locker room I gave myself a firm scolding. _Seventeen, Dimitri._ _Do you realize how gross and wrong that is? Do you want to land in jail? Do you want to get fired? And perhaps, more importantly, throw away all your morals? _

That was a decent wake-up call. Enough so that I had the sense to laugh—instead of cave—when she asked if she could skip out on our first training. She must have been joking. She couldn't even make it a whole day without trying to quit, yet she expected to catch up with her class?

"Why is that funny?" She whined.

"Oh. You were serious." My face instantly turned stern.

"Of course I was! Look, I've technically been awake for _two_ days. Why do we have to start training now? Let me go to bed. It's just one hour." She sounded dangerously close to a five year old, which enabled me to stand my ground.

She was right, it was only an hour. But what she failed to realize was that _a lot_ could happen in an hour. For instance: In the span of one hour, she went from being asleep to being in a plane on her way back to Montana.

I folded my arms over my chest and looked down at her, prohibiting myself to fall into those eyes once more. Each minute I spent with her, it became easier to resist, though the temptation was still as strong. I don't think she realized the effect those eyes could have on a male.

"How do you feel right now?" I asked, already knowing the answer. "After the training you've done so far?"

"I hurt like hell," she groaned.

"You'll feel worse tomorrow."

"So?" She scoffed.

"So, better to jump in now while you still feel…" I paused, considering my word options. "…not as bad."

"What kind of logic is that?" She snorted. I realized that she had it backwards. _My_ logic made perfect sense. She was the one who had to un-blur her sense of reasoning.

Luckily, she dropped the argument as I showed her to the weight room. I explained the different weight machines and then instructed her on how many reps I wanted her to do from each of the devices.

I, on the other hand, went to the corner of the room and plopped down with one of my favorite books. That earned me a genuine scowl before she proceeded to do as I had ordered. Good thing she looked away quickly, or I would have been busted for the smile that involuntarily spread across my face.

As she worked out, I found myself admiring the determined expression that was splayed across her face the entire time. I was worried that'd she look in this direction at one point and notice my scrutiny, but I couldn't bring myself to look away. With every second I looked at her, I felt more at ease. Like her face distracted me from all the evils in the world. The only thing that could ever do that before was my westerns. Yet, I sat in that corner with one of my favorites in my lap, yet I didn't take one look at it. I was focused on her labored breathing, the certain unwavering glint in her eyes.

It was as if Rosemarie Hathaway had become my new escape. That was a sanctuary I could not afford to have.

As she finished I walked to her side and showed her some of the cool-down stretches that I knew. It was mostly silent as I demonstrated the different ways for her to angle her body.

"How'd you end up as Lissa's guardian?" She asked abruptly. It kind of surprised me, but I didn't have any time to answer because she fired more at me. "You weren't here a few years ago. Were you even trained at this school?"

It took me a while to really form a coherent response. I was shocked to realize that the curiosity in her voice was sincere. Nobody really asked about me. At all. They usually noticed that I disconnected myself from others and weren't really interested in learning about the loner. I more or less preferred that.

But with Rose, it was different. I wanted her to know about me. I wanted to know about _her._

"No," I finally replied. "I attended the one in Siberia." I really wasn't sure how I ended up as the Princess's guardian. I didn't really question it. That was the guardian nature. Take what was thrown at you and don't ask questions.

"Whoa. That's got to be the only place worse than Montana."

I liked that she treated me like I was a friend. But no, I realized, we couldn't even be friends. That would be too much.

Still, I couldn't help but find her comment more-or-less funny. If only she knew the beauties that Siberia held. I missed it so much, sometimes the wonderful architecture and glorious scenery weaved its way into my dreams.

"After I graduated, I was a guardian for a Zecklos lord." I explained. Only her face allowed me to resist the cringe that came when talking about Ivan. "He was killed recently." I knew that my expression turned morose. I couldn't help it. It was my fault. I should have been there to save him. The most painful memory that existed in my mind was when I had discovered he was dead. My best friend. _The only person I'll ever trust_…

Looking at Rose, I realized that might not be the case anymore. Her eyes were so understanding. They gave me the strength to continue. "They sent me here because they needed extras on campus. When the princess turned up, they assigned me to her since I'd already be around." That was the best answer I could give her. "Not that it matters until she leaves campus."

Rose took a minute, her expression thoughtful. "Did this lord die on your watch?" She asked. Another surprise. I figured she would instantly blame me. I sure did.

"No." _Not that it matters._ "He was with his other guardian. I was away."

My fault. All my fault. I knew it was true, despite what anyone tried to convince me. Sure, I was the death of many Strigoi, but that was my job. I was doing good. That still haunted me. But even more so did the fact that Ivan was dead, and I was unable to stop it.

Why did I feel it was so important to get away? Why didn't I just take Ivan with me? He would still be alive, I was sure.

"Hey," Rose said, obviously trying to break me out of the depression that was soon to encompass me. "did you help come up with the plan to get us back? Because it was pretty good. Brute force and all that."

Of course I helped. I actually designed the whole thing. But was she really praising me for it? She was not too happy when it all went down. I couldn't help but raise one eyebrow. The corners of her lips twitched.

"You're complimenting me on that?"

"Well, it was a hell of a lot better than the last one they tried."

If I wasn't already hanging on to every word she said, I knew I would have snapped to attention on that comment. "Last one?"

"Yeah. In Chicago. With the pack psi-hounds."

Psi-hounds? No, that was not us. "This was the first time we found you. In Portland."

She sat up and crossed those amazing legs as a puzzled look crossed her face, but only for a moment. "Um, I don't think I imagined psi-hounds. Who else could have sent them? They only answer to Moroi. Maybe no one told you about it."

"Maybe," I said dropping the subject. But I knew that wasn't the case. When they assigned me the task of finding the two girls they had told me that they were desperate. They had tried so hard to find them, but they were failing miserably.

She stood and walked into the locker room and changed. Then, she was off to her dorm—gratefully, I'm sure. I headed back to my room as well, my mind swimming with our earlier conversation.

_Who else could have sent them?_ She asked. I was positive that the Academy didn't. That's when I felt myself wondering the same thing. Who would've sent them? The _who _didn't matter so much as the_ why, _though_._ I realized in that moment that it was not good. Someone was out to get the two of them. Then I understood the reasoning behind their departure.

I found myself being very scared for Rose. It wasn't until later that Vasilisa's name had entered my mind. Only Rose. That was when I knew my mind had gone too far. Only Rose…

**Hello creepy Dimitri! You are such a pedophile yet we all love you for it :D**

**REVIEWS PLEASE?**


	6. Chapter 6

**So I have decided that just because it is the end of a chapter in Rose's life, doesn't mean it has to be the end of a chapter for Dimitri. In other words, the chapters end when I want them to. **

Worrying about Rose—and Vasilisa—gave me a huge distraction from every other emotional demon I used to battle. Ivan Zecklos used to be a name that constantly raced throughout my mind. It would bring me great despair and guilt. There were also the Strigoi that I had killed. That was a large burden on my morals as well.

But it was what had to be done. I was protecting so many from their undead state. I was doing my job. But they were people once too, and that was the part that really irked me.

Those were two of the biggest weights that I had pushed on myself for a while. Now, my thoughts were consumed with Rose—and the Princess.

Who was I kidding? The only time Vasilisa entered my mind was when I felt guilty for not thinking of her. That was a problem I knew I would have to get over in the future. The immediate future. I really was unsure as to why I was thinking of Rose so often. Yes, I was worried about her with the psi-hounds, but that could have been a coincidence. And it was in Chicago. It was a long time ago.

But that wasn't the only thing that came to mind when I thought about her. There was always the urge to touch her hair—to confirm if it was as soft and silky as it appeared. I bet it was. Of course there was also the temptation the mere sight of her lips brought upon me. They looked as soft as her hair, and I found myself wondering what it would be like to kiss those lips.

Then, there was the most often occurrence in my mind: her expressions. Sometimes she looked so wistful, so mature that I forgot that she was only seventeen. Not even an adult. She had stone-cold determination when she trained, more than any novice I had ever seen, and it was highly admirable. And perhaps the most wonderful of them all was the protective nature that would dominate not only her face, but her body as well, when the Princess was brought up.

It made me weak.

I didn't want to have these thoughts. I fought them the best that I could. But with someone like Rose, once she breaks through your mental walls, she never leaves. I wished she would, but I knew it would kill me if she did.

The funny thing about it all was that I thought about her so much, yet she probably just thought of me as her tough-love mentor. She probably regarded me as nothing more than an authority figure, and I have come to realize how much appreciation she had for those. The humor in it all was that I was the one with the schoolgirls crush. I had it backwards.

As much as she distracted me from all my worries and guilt and despair, Sunday services brought it all back to me. As I sat in the church that Sunday, everything that had been set aside in my head came rushing back to me, as if begging for attention. Church always did that for me, even if I didn't exactly listen to the priest. It was hard.

But that Sunday, though I was still dealing with a lot, the pain that usually accompanied me had lightened. I wasn't sure why. I didn't really care. I was grateful. I knew the reason afterwards when church had come to an end and I saw a pretty brunette go speak to the pastor. Rose was there, and my subconscious was aware. I tried to act like that was just a coincidence. It had to be.

The weeks passed slowly and I fell into a basic routine. I woke up and trained an hour with Rose, watched some of the classes, trained some more with Rose and the rest of the days I was left to my own devices.

Sometimes Tasha would call me and rave on and on about how much she missed me and our little meetings. I would agree and tell her I couldn't wait to see her, but my heart wasn't really in it anymore. It was more like I was exchanging pleasantries.

I told myself I was being stupid. Tasha was wonderful and beautiful. The problem was that when I looked at Rose, that beauty didn't seem to exist. Only she did. Which, again, was stupid. I felt like a psychopath stalker, determined to prey on the young teenager. If Rose could ever know what I was thinking, she would probably be frightened. My thoughts scared even me. I should not have been having them.

The before and after school trainings became easier as time progressed. Rose and I would begin by stretching in the gym and then I would send her out to run.

I'm not so sure she grasped the importance of the physical stamina, but she would thank me one day. At those times I used a lot of self-control and restrained from thinking of her as anything other than a student. I kept expecting to wake up one day and forget all about this crazy attraction. That wasn't the case.

I liked to start my days off by reading my westerns, it boosted my mood considerably and made her heavy sarcasm and dry humor much easier to deal with, though a part of me secretly craved it.

_NO, A PART OF YOU DOES NOT. A PART OF YOU _CAN_ NOT. IT'S SICK AND TWISTED. _

Somehow, that speech grew less and less convincing as time passed.

One morning, I had noticed a portable CD player resting on the mat that I always read on as Rose worked out. There was a plastic case next to it. Curiously, I picked up the little white piece of paper that was lying on top of it. Alberta. She had said it was a gift for hanging in there so long. She thought I was a saint for being able to put up with Rose for so long.

Next to it? A Prince CD. That cheered me up even more than cowboys coming to the rescue. I popped in the CD, plopped down on the mat, and picked up my book to read.

Moments later, Rose walked in the gym. I became good at not reacting to her presence—on the outside.

Rose threw her backpack on the floor and gave me a look of disgust. "Whoa, Dimitri," I could sense her sarcasm. "I realize this is actually a current hit in Eastern Europe right now, but do you think we could maybe listen to something that wasn't recorded before I was born?"

I was glad to discover Guardian Belikov was in place without effort. I averted my gaze towards her. "What does it matter to you? I'm the one who's going to be listening to it. You'll be outside running."

She appointed me with a very amusing look as she began to do her stretches. "Hey, what's up with all the running, anyway? I mean, I realize the importance of stamina and all that, but shouldn't I be moving on to something with a little hitting? They're still killing me in group practice." There was a spark in her eyes that ignited when she talked about hitting and fighting. It was frightening.

"Maybe you should hit harder," I replied thickly.

Her top lip twitched into a semi-snarl. "I'm serious."

"Hard to tell the difference." I laid my book gently on the mat beside me, and then focused my attention back to Rose. "My job is to get you ready to defend the princess and fight dark creatures, right?"

"Yup," she said, popping the 'p'.

"So tell me this: suppose you manage to kidnap her again and take her off to the mall. While you're there, a Strigoi comes at you. What will you do?"

The answer was so simple. So undeniably basic. I was positive she would not get it.

"Depends on what store we're in," she said lightly. I shot her a look that told her that this was not something to be taken as a joke. This was real. Life and death for her best friend.

"Fine," she groaned. "I'll stab him with a silver stake."

I repositioned myself so that I wasn't so lazily sprawled out. I sat up and folded my legs. Rose watched my every move. "Oh?" I could feel myself raising my eyebrows, more in amusement than anything. "Do you have a silver stake?" Yeah right. "Do you even know how to use one? "

Rose seemed to have difficulties averting her eyes from me, and I tried to ignore the pleasant chill that ran down my spine when I noticed. She contorted her face into a nasty scowl. She knew that I had her there, and I could sense the resentment she held towards the instructors for not allowing her a stake.

"Okay, I'll cut his head off."

I held back a laugh. Rose obviously believed herself to have all the answers and it was truly amusing to see her fumble with such a straightforward question. "Ignoring the fact that you don't have a weapon to do that, how will you compensate for the fact that he may be a foot taller than you?"

May be? Rose was five-foot-seven, and though in the human world, that's pretty tall for a woman, almost every Strigoi was over six feet. A lot were about the same height as me—six-seven—and without the proper training she would have a lot of issues accurately maneuvering herself around that obstacle.

She stood from her previous stretch, and I could see the irritation in her eyes. "Fine, I'll set him on fire."

"Again, with what?" At least she knew the three different ways to destroy a Strigoi. I supposed that was a start.

"All right, I give up." She said, her annoyance clear in her tone. "You've already got the answer. You're just messing with me. I'm at the mall and I see a Strigoi. What do I do?"

I looked at her directly, hiding every trace of amusement and feelings—my guardian mask. "You run."

I could see her jaw clench, and her eyes clouded over. It looked like she was dangerously close to chucking the nearest hand weight at my face. That made it all the more enjoyable, though I did feel bad. I didn't particularly like upsetting people I care—I stopped that thought right there.

_I only care for Rose as any teacher would a star student. _

Guardian Belikov was beginning to slip, and I knew exactly the way to put him back in place. I needed to run. That had always helped clear my head. I discovered this after Ivan's dearth, just like many other habits.

_I wouldn't lie about something like this. He's dead, Dimitri. Never coming back._

I remembered those words as clearly as I did the first time they were said. I remembered the stab of pain that shot through me. And then, there was wind in my face, and I found my feet carrying me somewhere far away. I ran that whole night. I hoped that the labored breathing and the sting in my muscles would distract me. I had been hoping that when I returned I would find out it was all just a hallucination.

But when I crept into the house in the middle of the night when the rest of my family was asleep, I knew deep within me what the truth was. Ivan had been killed, and because I wasn't there protecting him it was my fault. That was the night I packed up all my belongings and hopped on the first plane I could find: New York.

I spent a few weeks there, wallowing in my apartment. Then, I received a call from the academy, and there I was. I hadn't returned to Russia since then, and my family had no idea what happened, though I was sure they saw it coming. They knew that there was a part that was buried inside of me that just couldn't fight. They knew that sometimes I struggled to stay in control. That was one of those times. I just couldn't deal with the guilt. Couldn't take the agony.

Ever since, I had completely detached myself from almost everybody I loved. I didn't want to experience that feeling ever again. I knew that getting to close to anybody would result in yet another treacherous goodbye. I couldn't allow that.

"I'll run with you," I told Rose abruptly.

A moment of surprise crossed her face, but she agreed.

As we set out, I felt the need to push myself. I needed to go faster. But I didn't. I slowed down so that Rose could keep up. It was stupid, I needed to distract myself from thoughts of her. But I couldn't. I wanted to be near her. There was something about her presence that brought about a calming sensation.

But, as Rose noticed that I had slowed myself for her, she developed this weird expression then pushed herself faster. I liked to think that she was trying to impress me. I knew that was probably ridiculous. Maybe she just wanted to increase her stamina.

We had twelve laps to do around the track. Twelve laps to deal with a clear mind. Rose seemed to be having problems with keeping up her pace on about the ninth lap, when a group of novices walked by.

"Good form, Rose!" Shouted one of them. It was the red head. Mason, I think. The kid that I found Rose hanging out with a lot. Every time he looked at her, his face would soften and he would get this goofy grin.

I saw a smile spread across Rose's face as she handed him a wave as well. Something about that bothered me.

"You're slowing down," I said fiercely. I hadn't meant for it to come out so severe, and she looked stunned for a second. "Is this why your times aren't getting any faster? You're easily distracted?"

A flush of pink spread over her cheeks and I could see her putting a great deal of effort into speeding up. Once again, I wondered if she was trying to impress me. She seemed pretty embarrassed when I had scolded her.

_She just wants to be a better guardian. _

When we had finished the laps, I looked at her time. She had improved by about two minutes. Maybe I should run with her more often.

"Not bad, huh? Looks like I could get as far as the Limited before Strigoi got me at the mall." I flinched internally at the idea. "Not sure how Lissa would do."

"If she was with you, she'd be okay." I didn't mean to say it. Sure, a compliment was nice every now and then, but with my conflicting feelings for Rose, appraisal felt wrong. It felt dirty. That's why I refrained from doing it. I didn't lead on to any of this.

Once again that day, Rose looked up at me in shock. I couldn't believe it was so easy to catch her off-guard. Maybe it was just me that had the ability to perplex her so often. I liked that idea, but I hated it at the same time.

I liked the reactions I brought forth in her, she had a very comical set of expressions.

What I didn't enjoy was the look that consumed her next.

**Yay! I finally finished a chapter, I had half of this on my computer for like a week. Review and tell me what you think! :D**


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